The good: Tough metal chassis; exceptional battery life; HP QuickLook 2 feature; pop-out keyboard light; trackpoint and touchpad included.

The bad: Memory card reader supports only SD/MMC; no eSATA port.

The bottom line: With a superb battery life, stylish yet hardy metal body and generous feature set, you'll be hard pressed to find a better business machine than the HP EliteBook 6930p in the same price range.

Read full review of the HP EliteBook 6930p »

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Feb 4, 2009

HP's business laptops have always been good value for money. The HP Compaq range is not only quite affordable, it is decked out with essential design features such as HP DuraKeys (for a longer-lasting keyboard) and HP DuraFinish (scratch-resistant coating on the top cover and palm rest). For businesses, having a laptop with a hardy exterior is important as the turnaround for corporate machines is usually much longer than consumer equivalents.

The new EliteBook lineup, however, takes HP business notebooks to another level. While the inexpensive HP Compaq models are good enough for the rank and file, the EliteBooks are meant for executives who want a little extra. Though not rated as semi-rugged machines, the EliteBook is test to military specifications for durability. It also looks quite stylish with a brushed aluminum top cover and palm rest. Though it is not the cheapest business portable on the block, the starting price of S$2,399 (US$1,726.89) is not a high price to pay for the long battery life and generous feature set of this EliteBook.

Design

Out of the box, the EliteBook 6930p impresses with nice brushed aluminum accents and a sturdy feel. The chassis uses HP DuraCase technology which is a step up from the HP DuraFinish. Though both processes are used on magnesium-alloy bodies, HP DuraCase works the shell into a honey-comb pattern (for added strength without increasing the weight) and thermally bonds aluminum to it for added aesthetics. Despite its tough exterior, this EliteBook has a footprint of 331 x 243 x 31mm and weighs 2.2kg, which is hefty but still reasonable for a 14.1-inch laptop. We also like the fact that the laptop incorporates touch-sensitive controls for volume, Wi-Fi, presentation settings and the HP Info Center. the status icons light up with blue LEDs when activated. Overall, this is an attractive laptop which will stand out in a corporate setting.

Looks aside, this machine is also one tough laptop capable of withstanding abuse. Though HP does not consider the EliteBook a semi-rugged notebook nonetheless, it was test to military standards (MIL-STD 810F) for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude and high temperatures. Unless you work in the war zone or visit volcanic sites for National Geographic, the HP 6930p should be able to stand up to most work environments.

The port placement is also well-thought out. The VGA out and charging ports are hidden at the back, while the memory card reader is found at the front. The rest are distributed to the flanks of the unit. But for lefties, be aware that the heat vent is on the left side; when the machine goes full blast it can get a little toasty.

Tags: Notebook, Light-emitting Diode, Laptop Computer, Aluminum, Hewlett-Packard Co.

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